State of the New York Rangers rebuild: Report Card #5

The differences are night and day

The comparison’s between last year’s New York Rangers and this year’s version has been well documented over the past several report cards. One team played full throttle offense and won by outscoring the opposition and hoped that their goaltenders could hold down the fort. The other has used a solid defense to keep the opposition from scoring hoping that the offense can score just enough to win.

By the midway point of last season, the New York Rangers were three games above NHL .500. They achieved this with a mammoth  offense and a power play that was, even when unsuccessful, still impactful. Their goaltenders were bombarded, especially on the penalty kill, and were mostly up to the task. The term defense was a foreign concept to the 2019-20 team that hemorrhaged shots at a nearly league worst pace.

Conversely, the 2021 New York Rangers are all about defensive structure. They keep the opposition at bay and allow far fewer shots. Their scoring is not nearly as explosive and their goaltending not quite as stalwart. Their power play has been mostly inept, but their penalty kill has become a weapon that is operating at a near league best rate.

Both teams found limited levels of success in how they played, but this year’s team has room to improve. The defense last year was not a repairable asset. It was a lost cause until Jacques Martin replaced Lindy Ruff. This year, we have already seen the lackluster offense showing signs of breaking out. If and when it does, the combination of today’s solid defense and yesterday’s explosive offense will make the Rangers a dangerous team.

It may further lead to a similar run at the playoff’s that saw the team just two points back when the season paused last year.